As biological measurement and monitoring systems become more complex, the desired number of electrical conductive paths into and out of catheters and other patient monitoring devices and equipment, increases. A catheter that includes an array of electrophysiological mapping electrodes, for example, may include multiple electrical signal lines, in order to produce precise imagery of an interior portion of the body. At some point, the catheter must be connected to a further cable, or to a device, thereby necessitating a multi-line or multi-position connector. A few difficulties have limited the number lines that can be accommodated with a connector. First there is the difficulty of constructing a connector with many different connection points, which are typically pins and sockets, for a great many different lines. It appears that typical high contact density electrical connectors have a maximum number of positions between 60 and 80 contacts.
Three more requirements create difficulties. First, there is the need for wiping action, as the connection is made and disengaged. That is, the plug portion of the connector must wipe against the socket portion, in order to wipe away oxidation that forms between instances of use. In the familiar two prong plug used in most American homes and offices, the two prongs slide past the socket contacts while being plugged in, and then while being plugged out. This causes enough oxide to be wiped off so that in almost all cases a robust electrical contact is made. But it also requires somewhat more force than would otherwise be necessary, both in the act of plugging in and plugging out. The second requirement is that the insertion force be low enough so that a person can easily perform these functions. When multiplied many times for a multi-line connector, this force can amount to an insurmountable barrier to use.
The third requirement is that the connector must be able to survive intact from a sterilization cycle through a steam autoclave, ethylene oxide sterilization, gamma sterilization, or other common medical device sterilization procedures. Many materials used in familiar connectors would be destroyed when exposed to such sterilization conditions and atmospheres. All of the materials used must be able to survive intact through sterilization cycles, and the construction best serves the needs of users if it does not present recesses in which microbial life could survive through the process.